Fuel, Vancouver, BC

Date - July 24, 2009

Background - The August issue of Bon Appetite has a great article on the strength of local food movement in Vancouver and gives a list of local spots to check out. We were headed up to Whistler for a week and decided to take a break from the drive, and check out Fuel.

Atmosphere - I would describe it as warm minimalist modern. No more than 20 tables with a nice bar overlooking the open kitchen (will sit there next time).

Service - Our waiter wasn't the most enlightened foodie I've come across - if you asked him any questions of the script he struggled. That said, his recommendations were good and his service level was warm, friendly and timely.

Drink - I was driving the next leg of the trip, so I passed but it looked like they had a nice wine list. Greg had two glasses of Grainville Ale and liked it. It was a good thing I didn't have any booze as we were stopped at alcohol check point about 20 miles north of town!

Food - A tad fussy and gimmicky for everyday. I had chilled English pea soup with frozen yogurt to start and prosciutto, candied pecan and ricotta salad. Greg had short ribs.

Verdict - Not bad and worth a visit if you find yourself in Vancouver, but might be better for lunch (Friday lunch is their famous fried chicken), sit at the kitchen bar and watch the entertainment. 3 stars.

Pesto Alla Trapanese

I was browsing through Cook's Illustrated the other day and stumbled upon this recipe for a unique twist on pesto - instead of being made with basil and pine nuts, this one has tomatoes and almonds. It was pretty good, but I prefer the traditional pesto.

Serves 4 to 6. Published July 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.

A half teaspoon of red wine vinegar and ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes can be substituted for the pepperoncini. If you don’t have a food processor, a blender may be substituted. In step 2, pulse ingredients until roughly chopped, then proceed with the recipe, reducing processing times by half.

PASTA WITH TOMATO AND ALMOND PESTO (PESTO ALLA TRAPANESE)

INGREDIENTS

1/4	cup slivered almonds
12	ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2	cup packed fresh basil leaves
1	medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1	small pepperoncini (hot peppers in vinegar), stemmed, seeded, and minced (about 1/2 teaspoon) (see note)
	Table salt
	Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3	cup extra-virgin olive oil
1	pound pasta , preferably linguine or spaghetti
1	ounce Parmesan cheese , grated (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Cool almonds to room temperature.

2. 2. Process cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepperoncini, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil, about 30 seconds.

3. 3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.

4. 4. Add pesto and ½ cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coats pasta. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.

Berry Crisp

As we've transitioned from strawberry and raspberry season to blueberry and blackberry season, I shifted from cobbler to crisp. I really like the crunch of this Cook's Illustrated Master Recipe for Fruit Crisp. You can use just about any fruit you like and while I didn't make extra topping and freeze it this time, I definitely will next time for impromptu berry goodness.

Don't forget the vanilla ice cream!

If you make the crisp topping in large quantities and freeze it, this dessert can be as simple as slicing up some fruit. Just store the topping in a large container or zipper-lock bag. When you need a quick dessert, scoop out the required amount (about two cups for the quantity of fruit in this recipe), sprinkle it over the prepared fruit, and bake.

INGREDIENTS

7	cups fruit , prepared (see below for suggestions)
1	teaspoon lemon zest , grated
1	tablespoon lemon juice
2/3	cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2	cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2	cup quick-cooking oats
1/2	teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg
1/4	teaspoon table salt
4	tablespoons butter , cut into small bits (chilled, if using food processor)
2	tablespoons vegetable shortening , cut into small bits (chilled, if using food processor)
Suggested Fruit
2 1/2	pounds apples (about 6 apples), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
3	pounds apricots (15 to 20), pitted and quartered
2	pounds berries , rinsed and patted dry; if tart, add 1 tablespoon or more of sugar to taste
2 1/2 - 3	pounds nectarines or peaches (8 to 10 pieces of fruit), peeled, pitted, and cut into sixths
2 1/2 - 3	pounds pears (6 to 7 pears), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
3	pounds plums (15 to 20), pitted and quartered

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss fruit with lemon zest and juice in a large bowl. Spread evenly in 8-inch square baking pan, pressing down lightly.
   

2. 2. Mix next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl or in workbowl of a food processorl add butter and shortening. If mixing by hand, use fingertips, a pastry blender, or 2 forks to blend fat into dry ingredients until mixture looks like coarse irregular crumbs, with no visible lumps of fat. If mixing in a food processor, pulse about 10 times, then process 5 to 10 seconds, until there are no visible lumps of fat.

3. 3. Spread topping over prepared fruit; bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; back until topping browns and fruit is tender when pierced, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pizza

My sister is famous for her homemade pizza. She even makes her own sauce from fresh tomatoes in her yard and her own mozzarella cheese. I didn't get quite that fancy with mine, but it was still pretty good. It's quick (you can go from start to eating in less than an hour) and, for pizza, pretty healthy.

Part of her secret is a great recipe for the dough which uses quick rise yeast so there is no waiting for dough to rise. If you like a think and crispy crust, try and roll this crust as thin as you can...less than a 1/4".

For the sauce, you can either use a jarred tomato sauce or I bought boxed tomatoes (If you haven't found boxed tomatoes, give them a try. They don't have the metallic taste that you find in the canned ones) and added some garlic and Italian herbs to give it more flavor.

As for toppings, my sister always uses fresh mozzarella for her pizza. She slices the balls into 1/3" pieces and places them around the pizza. I topped one with red onion and peperoni and prosciutto, cherry tomatoes and basil (add basil after pizza cooks) to the other. They were delicious.

Bastille Cafe & Bar, Ballard

Date - July 16, 2009
Background - Bastille opened about a month ago in the heart of Ballard by the owners of Cafe Fiori. A few days after Bastille Day we decided to check it out. It was a hot night and their large outdoor patio was calling our name.

Atmosphere - It doesn't get any more French bistro than this. It on the verge of too much for me, but the white tiles and lots of black and white details they've given in a lot of thought. It a large space with two bars, one for the hipsters and one a bit more mellow, and a nice communal table that looks like it will have a fireplace in the winter and an outside patio.

Service - We sat at the bar first while waiting for a table and both our bar waiter and our patio waitress had attitude. While the bar waiter was at least good at his job, our main waitress was all around disappointing.

Drink - Great selection of cocktails, wine and beer.

Food - All the French classics are on the menu - no escargot yet, but the waiter thought they would once they get a bit more settled. They serve lunch, dinner and brunch. We started with grilled octopus and baguette and butter ($3 for bread but worth every penny in my mind for the Pugla butter). The Count had steak frite and I had a spring pasta dish. The steak was delicious in flavor but came out medium when he asked for rare. My homemade pasta was cooked perfectly but a bit oily.

Verdict - The jury is still out. I hope they are still working out the kinks as Seattle doesn't really have a classic French Bistro. I will definitely give this spot a few more tries as I really want it to be great.3 stars for now...

Mixed Berry Cobbler

It's mid July here in Seattle which is the heart of berry season and that means it's time to celebrate summer with cobbler. This recipe from Cook's Illustrated for blueberry cobbler is really easy and provides the right berry to biscuit ratio - use what ever berries you have on hand or are your favorites.

Vanilla ice cream for this is a must!

Serves 6 to 8. Published July 1, 2002.

While the blueberries are baking, prepare the ingredients for the biscuit topping, but do not stir the wet into the dry ingredients until just before the berries come out of the oven. A standard or deep-dish 9-inch pie pan works well; an 8-inch-square baking dish can also be used. Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream is the perfect accompaniment. To reheat leftovers, put the cobbler in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until heated through.

INGREDIENTS

Filling
1/2	cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1	tablespoon cornstarch
	pinch ground cinnamon
	pinch table salt
6	cups fresh blueberries (30 ounces), picked over
1 1/2	teaspoons grated lemon zest
1	tablespoon lemon juice
Biscuit Topping
1	cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces)
2	tablespoons cornmeal , stone-ground
1/4	cup granulated sugar , plus 2 teaspoons for sprinkling
2	teaspoons baking powder
1/4	teaspoon baking soda
1/4	teaspoon table salt
4	tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted
1/3	cup buttermilk
1/2	teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8	teaspoon ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
   
   

2. 2. For the filling: Stir sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together in large bowl. Add berries and mix gently with rubber spatula until evenly coated; add lemon zest and juice and mix to combine. Transfer berry mixture to 9-inch glass pie pan, place pie pan on rimmed baking sheet, and bake until filling is hot and bubbling around edges, about 25 minutes.
   

3. 3. For the biscuit topping: Whisk flour, cornmeal, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to combine. Whisk melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla in small bowl. Mix remaining 2 teaspoons sugar and cinnamon in second small bowl and set aside. One minute before berries come out of the oven, add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; stir with rubber spatula until just combined and no dry pockets remain.

4. 4. To assemble and bake cobbler: Remove berries from oven; increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Pinch off 8 equal-sized pieces biscuit dough and place on hot berry filling, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart (they should not touch). Sprinkle each mound of dough with cinnamon-sugar. Bake until filling is bubbling and biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool cobbler on wire rack 20 minutes and serve

Cocoa-Salt Rubbed Basque Pork

We served this at a recent dinner party and it was a big hit - it was surprisingly moist which seems to be the chief complaint for pork. It comes from a fantastic cooking school on the Oregon Coast called EVOO.

While it takes a few hours for the pork to roast, it's pretty easy. It's great for dinner parties as it can mostly be made ahead and then finished off in the last few minutes.

Cocoa-Salt Rubbed Basque Pork

Serves four

1/2 C vegetable oil

2lbs pork butt (aka pork shoulder)

Cocoa powder

As needed - salt, pepper, and coriander

2 yellow onions diced

2 bulbs garlic, peeled

1 T cumin

2 t thyme leaves

1 t ground mustard

1 t smoked paprika

1 t cayenne pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a large saute pan and season pork with salt, pepper, coriander and cocoa powder. Place pork in pan as oil is beginning to smoke. Sear on all sides and remove pork.

Remove excess oil form pan and discard. Place onions, garlic and spices in semi dry pan and cook to coat with pork fond. Cook until translucent and aromatic. Place vegetables in large roasting pan with two cups of water. Place rack in pan and place seared pork on rack and place in oven.

After one hour, flip pork and cook for an additional hour. Remove pork from oven when meat thermometer reaches 150 (or 160 if you are conservative). The pork will continue cooking and the internal temperature will rise about another ten degrees while it is resting.

When ready to serve, slide pork into 2" pieces. Heat oil (grape seed is best due to high smoke point) in saute pan on high heat and brown pork to give it a crisp finish (less than one minute per side if your pan is really hot).

Top with sauce of your choice, but we had it with avocado tomatillo salsa.

You can make two dishes with one shoulder by cooking the pork a third hour for pulled pork.